Does Google use click-through rate as a ranking signal? If users are clicking and sticking on some results, and bouncing back to the search results on others, that could be a valuable quality signal for them to use in the ranking algorithm. Some recent tests have shown interesting (and instant) ranking boosts from click activity. Not satisfied with the results of a handful of tests, Darren has set out to test the bejeesus out of: clicks on websit...

Wow, just saw some super tacky lead gen. Apparently, to get "fast-tracked" -- which to me reads: actually have someone look at your resume -- for a marketing job at +Uber Chicago, the car service, you have to get 25 people to sign up for their services.

This is gross abuse of candidates who are looking for work in a highly competitive market. Getting hundreds of candidates, only one of which will ever be paid for their hard work, to get more customers for Uber is another example of how corporations are taking advantage of people at every turn. Not to mention those hunting for jobs are often a vulnerable and possibly desperate group when out-of-work.

This is not about Uber getting the best and sharpest candidates with large social reaches. This is about Uber getting the cheapest labor possible: free. They'll probably be able to easily pay for the first year of their new marketing employee through this scheme.

I'll be thinking twice next time I need a car service, and I may put the Elvis karaoke taxi in my phone instead.

I presented some Excel tips at #StateofSearch this week and shared a citation auditing tool i made in Excel (requires SEOTools plugin). Would love more eyes on the tool to help me make it more useful.﻿

The Local SEOs workflow is a bit different from “regular” SEO, and getting the tooling together to handle that workflow can be pricey or require coding skills mere mortals generally don’t possess. Luckily, with a little know-how, any mortal can go BEAST MODE in Excel. In this session, I’ll show just how much can be handled in Microsoft Excel. And don’t worry if you’re not an Excel wizard – this session is meant for anyone who’s used even just the...

Massive menu and surprisingly most everything is really good. Only misstep was a pasta dish with some old-tasting pork in it - i believe that was a special. In 4+ visits to this place, that one dish was the only blemish on an otherwise really good set of experiences. My fav dish is the seafood fra diavolo. Holy Moses, is it a lot of seafood and SO FRIKKIN GOOD. The rigatoni with meat gravy and ricotta is also freakin sweet - recommend.
Service is hit or miss but never bad enough to ruin an evening. Friday evenings there's a fella that plays the piano - it's very nice. Wine selection is okay - the real star here is the food, though.

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Massive menu and surprisingly most everything is really good. Only misstep was a pasta dish with some old-tasting pork in it - i believe that was a special. In 4+ visits to this place, that one dish was the only blemish on an otherwise really good set of experiences. My fav dish is the seafood fra diavolo. Holy Moses, is it a lot of seafood and SO FRIKKIN GOOD. The rigatoni with meat gravy and ricotta is also freakin sweet - recommend.
Service is hit or miss but never bad enough to ruin an evening. Friday evenings there's a fella that plays the piano - it's very nice. Wine selection is okay - the real star here is the food, though.

I only ever want to eat their brisket for the rest of my life for every meal. Get 1/4 moist and 1/4 lean and place between two slices of bread. Thank me later (and likely erect a shrine in my likeness). Everything here will make you fat - just accept that. So definitely come hungry but try not to come often. It's market style so you sit down, take a bit of paper to the counter that has the bbq & sides you want, they mark it on the paper, and you sit down. Waiters take drink orders only. When you're done, you take the paper up to the counter to pay. Bierhaus style seating here in a lot of the dining room - long tables where you might mix with some new friends. I find this to be a feature, not a bug.

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I only ever want to eat their brisket for the rest of my life for every meal. Get 1/4 moist and 1/4 lean and place between two slices of bread. Thank me later (and likely erect a shrine in my likeness). Everything here will make you fat - just accept that. So definitely come hungry but try not to come often. It's market style so you sit down, take a bit of paper to the counter that has the bbq & sides you want, they mark it on the paper, and you sit down. Waiters take drink orders only. When you're done, you take the paper up to the counter to pay. Bierhaus style seating here in a lot of the dining room - long tables where you might mix with some new friends. I find this to be a feature, not a bug.

Doesn't really feel like a Christmas market so much as it does a bazaar (complete w/spice & tea stands - not kidding). The few stands that offer "glüwhein" offer the non-alcoholic knock-off, kinderpunsch. What's the point? That said, you still get a good feeling walking around seeing all the diverse wares and there are still a good assortment of tasty treats.

The beer selection was pretty limited and the skirt steak salad was totally forgettable. The garlic fries were delicious, though. This place has a weird identity crisis, too - they have a flatscreen playing whatever the night's main sporting event is yet it doesnt fit the look and feel of the bar area, and the back dining area is separated from the front almost like first class is separate from coach. Staff was reasonably attentive but that's all i can remember. I won't go back on purpose, but i wouldn't avoid it either.

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The beer selection was pretty limited and the skirt steak salad was totally forgettable. The garlic fries were delicious, though. This place has a weird identity crisis, too - they have a flatscreen playing whatever the night's main sporting event is yet it doesnt fit the look and feel of the bar area, and the back dining area is separated from the front almost like first class is separate from coach. Staff was reasonably attentive but that's all i can remember. I won't go back on purpose, but i wouldn't avoid it either.